Abu Dhabi: The announcement of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Sports Council Grand Prix to begin from Friday is another step forward in promoting karting in the UAE.
With an already strong presence of karting in the country, a new series does help in providing youngsters another platform to showcase their skills.
Mutually beneficial
“The series was an initial concept devised by Al Forsan to help promote talented drivers and the fantastic facilities the resort offers.
“The Abu Dhabi Sports Council partnership came around due to a mutually beneficial understanding of promoting key sport events in the capital,” said Rashid Al Qubaisi, general manager of Al Forsan International Sports Resort.
“This (karting) is one of the key driving forces behind all of our activities at Al Forsan. All ages should get active. We have our own rising star, six-year-old Emirati championship driver Rashid Al Dhaheri, who is a fantastic example of the support of youth activity at the resort,” he added.
After the first round on February 27, the second and third rounds will be held on March 13 and April 3 respectively. The format will include a four-lap practice before the qualifying starts at 8pm followed by a seven-lap pre-final.
The starting grid will be based on qualifying results before the final will be a 12-lap battle.
The minimum age is 16 and the winning prize in each race is around Dh16,000.
“The championship winners also get Al Forsan individual membership depending on how they have finished,” said Al Qubaisi, noting the response for the new event has been tremendous.
“We are already receiving a huge positive response to the events so I am sure you will see this event in the future. Naturally, as these events do, we expect it to grow even further and evolve into something as truly unique as Al Forsan itself,” Al Qubaisi added.
